Core Skills Analysis
Personal Development
Enid learned to identify her interests and name the kinds of activities and supports that helped her feel more confident. With Dom, she explored the CATQ questions to think about when she might be masking, which helped her notice her own behavior and how she showed up in different situations. She also practiced recognising her energy levels and communicating them to other people, which supported self-awareness, self-advocacy, and growing independence as she became a teen.
Cognitive Skills
Enid worked on categorising different things into tiers, which helped her organise information and make sense of the world in a clearer way. This activity strengthened her ability to sort, compare, and group ideas based on meaning or priority. She also used questions and reflection to understand patterns in her own experiences, showing developing reasoning skills and flexible thinking.
Tips
To extend Enid’s learning, she could create a simple “energy thermometer” to track how she feels across the day and compare it with the activities she was doing. She could also make a personal “support menu” that lists accommodations she knows help at school, at home, and in social situations, so she can practice choosing and explaining what she needs. Another helpful idea would be sorting real-life items, feelings, or activities into tiers and discussing why each one belongs there, which would strengthen her categorising skills in a concrete way. Finally, she could role-play short conversations where she names her interests or energy level to a trusted person, building confidence in self-advocacy and communication.
Book Recommendations
- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig: A thoughtful story about feeling unseen, belonging, and the value of small acts of inclusion.
- Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival: A gentle picture book that helps children notice feelings and talk about worries in a relatable way.
- What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner: An accessible, child-friendly guide that supports self-awareness and coping with big feelings.
Learning Standards
- Australian Curriculum: The activity supported personal and social capability by helping Enid identify emotions, recognise energy levels, and communicate needs to others.
- Australian Curriculum: It matched self-awareness and self-management skills through reflection on masking, interests, and everyday accommodations.
- Australian Curriculum: It developed social awareness and relationship skills by building confidence to express needs clearly and appropriately.
- Australian Curriculum: It supported critical and creative thinking through categorising information into tiers and making sense of patterns in her experiences.
Try This Next
- Make a weekly energy chart and colour-code high, medium, and low-energy times.
- Create a three-column worksheet: 'I enjoy', 'I need help with', and 'What helps me'.
- Write 5 short quiz questions about masking, self-advocacy, and accommodations.
- Draw a tiered sorting map for school tasks, hobbies, or feelings and explain each level.